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Monday, May 23, 2011

A NOWFE Frustration Continues

I have never understood large wine events not making the full list of wines to be tasted available in advance. The ubiquitous presence of computers makes the situation even more baffling. The ease of posting that information makes the absence inexcusable. A local, respected sommelier interviewed for the Times-Picayune article previewing the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience offers advice about the Grand Tasting. He recommends taking 15 minutes to plan where you want to go and what you want to taste. I applaud his notion. However, when I'm paying $30 an hour to taste wine and enjoy some food, it would be nice to be able to make that plan from the comfort of my own home. Once I'm at the event I want to be doing, not planning.I'm aware I may be in the minority. I always run into lots of people I haven't seen in a while and having been in the business in New Orleans for fifteen years I have lots of colleagues to see, but I'm there to explore and taste. The more information I have in advance the better prepared I am to visit the winerie I "need" to see and have appropriate questions ready. A detailed map of what is handed out as people enter; the map is found inside of a printed program. Somewhere along the line a document must be produced, at least a week (probably a lot earlier), in advance that could be posted on their website. Encouraging people to print these in advance would cut down, eventually, on their printing costs as well. How about it?